This invention relates to a preformed ankle brace that includes soft edge portions. The ankle brace also includes novel inner layers that provide comfort, cleanliness and washability in a lightweight, preformed brace product. The brace provides support to the lateral and medial aspects of the ankle and lower leg and stabilizes the ankle against inversion and eversion, while permitting normal dorsiflexion and plantarflexion of the ankle during healing. The brace is specifically designed to be worn with a shoe and is thus dimensionally configured to fit within a shoe.
The brace provides enhanced comfort by conforming to the medial and lateral aspects of the ankle and lower leg while providing edge portions that prevent contact between the skin and the hard shell portions of the brace.
The brace is simple, robust, and can be manufactured with relatively few manufacturing steps.